Warriors turn back Sacramento Kings

SACRAMENTO -- The Warriors took care of business Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings in a 101-92 win over a team tied for the worst record in the Western Conference.

Help is on the way in guard Steve Blake as the Warriors face even greater challenges with 28 games left in the regular season.

The Warriors acquired the veteran from the Los Angeles Lakers for seldom-used guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks in an attempt to bolster their bench, completing the trade just before halftime.

According to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, one of the main goals of adding Blake, 33, was for him to assist Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who are among the NBA's top 10 in minutes played per game.

"He's a smart, savvy vet who runs his team, makes big shots, gets his teammates involved, and he has a high motor," Curry said of Blake.

The trade was consummated on a night at Sleep Train Arena when Curry was relatively quiet by his standards with 13 points and eight assists. David Lee led the Warriors with 23 points and 11 rebounds as Curry's teammates combined to help the team pull away in the fourth quarter.

Lee scored on a layup, Thompson hit a 3-pointer, and Andre Iguodala hit a jump shot after the score was tied at 79.

The Kings trailed by as many as 15 points but closed the third quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 76-75 lead, with point guard Isaiah Thomas scoring the last six points in that stretch.

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The 5-foot-9 Thomas put on a show against the Warriors backcourt, finishing with 26 points. But Thomas also committed seven of Sacramento's 21 turnovers, letting the Warriors take advantage even on a night when they were only 3 for 19 from 3-point range.

The Warriors turned the ball over only seven times to match their season low, with coach Mark Jackson calling that a "huge step" as his team is one of the worst in the NBA in that category.

The Warriors were dominated on the glass 49-35 as injured center and top rebounder Andrew Bogut sat out a fifth straight game.

Bogut is dealing with a left shoulder that has inflammation. Sacramento was missing injured center DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings' top scorer and rebounder.

It was the backcourt issue that got addressed by the Warriors on the eve of the NBA's trade deadline (noon Thursday).

Blake averaged 9.5 points, 7.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 27 starts, missing 26 games because of a torn elbow ligament. He can play either guard position, shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point range.

The Warriors remain roughly $400,000 under the luxury tax, leaving them with the option of adding another player.

"You know when you give him the ball, you can trust him," Myers said of Blake.

The Warriors used their $4 million traded player exception to acquire a player in his final year of a four-year $16 million contract.

Bazemore, 24, was a second-year player who played in 44 games this season and was used primarily in situations on defense, gaining recognition as a positive bench presence.

Brooks, 25, played in seven games for Golden State after being acquired from Boston with point guard Jordan Crawford.

Crawford, who had 10 points and three assists off the bench against Sacramento, along with Blake bring versatility, according to Myers. Jackson said the minutes would play themselves out between the players.

Thompson finished with 18 points, saying the All-Star break was good for him. Iguodala had 13, and Green added 12 points to match a career high and eight rebounds off the bench.